New Delhi and Washington had put pressure on Colombo to prevent the arrival of this building suspected of carrying out spying operations.
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Despite the pressure of the Indians and the Americans, the new president of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, elected on July 20 after the flight of Gotabaya Rajapaka, finally authorized a surveillance military ship to dock in the port of Hambantota, In the south of the Indian Ocean Island. The 222 -meter building, with 2,000 sailors on board, arrived on Tuesday August 16, officially to refuel, and should leave on August 22.
The Yuan Wang 5 should have reached the port on August 11, but New Delhi and Washington protested highly with Colombo, suspecting the ship to engage in spy activities.
After several days of discussion, Ranil Wickremesinghe gave Beijing the green light provided that he does not use the port for military purposes. He assured that the Yuan Wang 5 “does not enter the category of military ships”, relaying the message of the Chinese authorities who claim that their building performs marine research activities “in accordance with international law and practices”, not “Not affected by security or the interests of any country”.
The Indian media, citing experts, had on the contrary indicated that the ship was used in addition to the land stations to identify to follow the launches of satellite, rockets and intercontinental ballistic missiles by the Chinese army.
“Pearl necklace” strategy
According to the Sunday Times, a Sri Lankan weekly, Colombo said that Indian and American objections were not sufficiently supported. This episode highlights the harsh battle of influence to which India and China are engaged in the region.
On the geostrategic level, Hambantota is on the road which connects Southeast Asia to Africa and Western Asia. This deep water port is a component of the big project of the “new silk routes” of President Xi Jinping. It is also the symbol of the disaster of the Rajapaka policy which led Sri Lanka to bankruptcy. Gotabaya and his brother, former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, had the south of the island built in their family stronghold, grandiose and useless infrastructure, a port, an international airport, a cricket stadium, but, in 2017, the government, unable to repay its debts, had to sell the port for ninety-nine years to the company China Merchants Port Holdings.
India and the United States have repeatedly pointed out their fear that Chinese control of Hambantota would harm their interests in the Indian Ocean by becoming a base for the Chinese Navy. Indian security experts believe that this port, whose viability is doubtful, is part of the Chinese strategy of the “pearl collar”, consisting in surrounding India in the Indian Ocean by strengthening its terrestrial and maritime imprint.
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